Nigerian government has ordered illegal miners to immediately vacate all mining sites in the northwestern state of Zamfara following the confirmation of an outbreak of lead poisoning.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, gave the warning in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Tuesday in Abuja, News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Zamfara, known for its rich gold deposits, first recorded a major lead poisoning epidemic in 2010.
The outbreak was traced to artisanal gold mining activities, which led to environmental contamination and the poisoning of hundreds of residents, particularly children.
Mining ban
Alake said that all mining activities would remain still on hold until the release of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that would guide the resumption of exploration in the state.
He expressed concern that the six-year mining ban in the state reversed in December 2024 should have prevented any cases of lead poisoning.
The latest poisoning was reported in Bungudu area of the state. “The outbreak is evidence that traditional and local institutions allowed illegal miners to operate in their areas in flagrant violation of the ban,’' he said.
“Every citizen should obey the laws and regulations established by constituted authorities. Our revered traditional institutions and local authorities, which are funded from the federation accounts, have an even higher responsibility to enforce government directives,’’ the authorities warned.
“However, where they demonstrate wilful negligence and abdicate their responsibilities, they perpetrate a state of anomie with dire consequences, as we are witnessing in this case,” he said.
The authorities say there were signs the miners may not have survived the collapse.
According to him, experts and ministry reports will recommend specific interventions to help the government prevent future calamities.
